DALLAS (KDAF) — The journey of healing is one that starts for many people alone. However, Simon Souvannarath wanted to create a space for people who didn’t want to take that journey by themselves.

Souvannarath has made a name for himself in the beauty community in the Dallas- Fort Worth metroplex. However, he has always been a strong advocate for holistic wellness and mental health.

With The Healing Project, he has created a space for many young adults to start their journey of healing and discovering what that may look like for each individual. Through diversity, mindful meditation and community outreach, Souvannarath and his organization have been able to change lives around the DFW area.

At a very young age growing up in a small rural town in Oklahoma, Souvannarath was very big on belonging, diversity and developing his own healing journey. As an Asian-American in a small community, he often witnessed racism against people from different backgrounds including his own family. “Experiencing injustice and inequality at an early age stood out to me, as I was all about fairness. And so that stuck out to me the most,” he said.

The Healing Project was started in 2019, with mental and holistic wellness in mind. Soon after, it turned into a safe space for those who needed a place where they could be vulnerable. The group ranges in age and diversity with each person having their own story. “As a result, individualism has brought insight and wisdom in ways that we could have never imagined. Just to know that we’re here means more to me than anything.”

When it comes to The Healing Project, Souvannarath expressed the importance of the overall mission of the organization. “The mission is geared towards mental health and awareness. I want people to know that we are here as a resource for support, love and community. I want people to know that they’re not alone. I want to make people aware of resources that they didn’t know were available, providing an outlet to combat mental health. From storytelling, yoga, wellness, and more we work on mind, body and spirit. In many cultural backgrounds being able to express your feelings is often seen as taboo. This is one of the many reasons this organization is dear to me.”

Souvannarath says that he hopes in the next five years the organization will be able to expand its goals of mental health awareness and community outreach. “My goal in the next five years is to find a space that we can use as a multi-purpose facility to house projects within the community. I would love to be able to have my salon in the facility to combine both of my passions of advocacy and beauty into one. I want people to feel confident, and to be able to own their power so they can walk into the world bold and fearless.”

The Healing Project in the month of December will be partnering with Soul Reborn, founded by one of Souvannarath’s mentors Dr. Cheryl P. Williamson. Soul Reborn is a non-profit geared towards transforming lives by inspiring the everyday woman. The event’s mission will be to help bring joy to families in the community during the holidays.

Souvannarath says he realizes he won’t be able to change the world, but he hopes that by being able to help those around him it could inspire one person to continue on their journey. “I know, we can’t save the world and this is something I just learned. Starting The Healing Project, I was like, ‘We’re gonna save everybody!’ ‘We’re gonna save the world!’ How naive was I? Because my gosh, it’s impossible. But what I learned was that you just do your part. Even if you inspire one person; that’s major. Even if we just work on being the best version of ourselves and offering love… we are already winning.”

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